OPC UA Server Information Models for Secure Cloud Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no straightforward method for users to access cloud data in a granular form via an OPC UA system, limiting the ability to securely retrieve structured user-defined information from cloud-enabled databases.
Innovation Solution
A method that enables secure access to cloud data by using an OPC UA server with a configuration module to interact with an application programming interface, allowing users to query and retrieve structured information models in standardized OPC UA format, ensuring user authentication and compatibility with various databases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users directly access cloud database via API, then data accessibility is improved, but security and authentication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an OPC UA server as an intermediary component between the OPC UA client and the cloud database API. This server acts as a mediator that handles authentication, data querying, and response formatting, thereby simplifying the client's access process while maintaining security through centralized credential management and token-based authentication mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cloud database stores diverse data types, then data versatility is improved, but data structure and retrieval complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms diverse, unstructured cloud database data into standardized OPC UA information models with consistent data types and structures. The server dynamically adapts incoming data parameters to match predefined OPC UA node structures, converting various data formats into uniform representations that maintain versatility while eliminating structural complexity for the client.
3Measurement precision
If OPC UA system retrieves granular cloud data, then information precision is improved, but communication overhead and processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements pre-configured OPC UA information models and node structures that define the expected data format and structure before actual data retrieval occurs. The server prepares query templates and validation rules in advance, allowing it to efficiently process granular data requests without performing complex transformations during runtime, thus reducing retrieval time while maintaining high information precision.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the user-specific acquisition of information which is stored in a cloud-enabled database (DB), wherein: the information is present in the database (DB) as different information types and/or in different data formats; the user has an OPC UA client (CL) which is connected for communication to an OPC UA server (SE); the OPC UA server (SE) has a configuration module (KM), which configuration module (KM) is designed to create, aggregate and adapt information models; the OPC UA server (SE) interacts with an application programming interface (API) of the database (DB), which application programming interface (API) defines requests and commands for accessing the database (DB). The method according to the invention comprises: - creating and loading a user-specific information model (IM) onto the OPC UA server (SE) by means of the configuration model (KM), wherein the user-specific information model (IM) defines at least one item of information or multiple items of information which are to be retrieved from the database (DB); - retrieving the information defined in the user-specific information model (IM) from the database (DB) by means of the application programming interface (API) and transferring the information from the application programming interface (API) to the OPC UA server (SE); - converting the retrieved information into OPC UA-compatible structural data; and - transmitting the structural data from the OPC UA server (SE) to the OPC UA client (CL).